ProgramsNewsAbout UsVolunteerDonate TodayGive Now96.1 fm 780 am Yours for Western Alaska

Archive | Stories RSS feed for this section

As the snow falls, thanks from a listener

By on November 11, 2012 in Stories

Temperatures – and snowflakes! – continue to fall, and the ground is solidly frozen. Cold mornings and evenings are highlighted by beautifully colorful sunrises and sunsets. We are truly blessed to be a part of this radio mission serving Western Alaska.

Last week, we received a phone call from a listener. She thanked us for the companionship that KNOM offers, and she said:

Everyone at KNOM sounds so kind and friendly on the air. It seems like everyone at KNOM is visiting with me in my kitchen. And I love the news, music, stories, and the rest. Keep doing a good job, and thank you!

We wish you could have heard her thankful voice to experience, first hand, her appreciation for everyone in the KNOM family. We pass on her kind comments and thanks to all who serve through our radio mission.

Continue Reading

Remembering Tom

By on November 4, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Tom Busch

KNOM friend and founder Tom Busch.

The temperature is dropping, and the days are getting shorter. Although Thanksgiving is weeks away, we continue to count our blessings and be thankful for our amazing KNOM family.

Two years ago, we bid a sad goodbye to longtime KNOM general manager Tom Busch. The following was posted November 1st on our Facebook page by KNOM web director David Dodman:

Today, in a special way, we remember KNOM friend and founder Tom Busch, who passed away on this day in 2010. Today is also the 65th anniversary of Tom’s birthday. We miss Tom dearly and are so appreciative for all he did for our mission and for the people of Western Alaska.

It’s a simple testament to Tom, who, along with his wife Florence, established KNOM as a positive presence to young and old alike. Thank you, Tom and Florence.  You made a world of difference in the lives of generations of Western Alaskans.

Continue Reading

In Western Alaska, winter’s coming – and quickly

By on October 27, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Frozen Snake River mouth, Nome

In winter, the ice on Western Alaska’s rivers – such as the mouth of the Snake River in Nome – becomes thick enough to support people and small vehicles.

The snow covers mountains, hills, and the tundra. On clear nights, we are blessed with colorful auroras as the night sparkles with stars and planets. The scenic majesty of bush Alaska is breathtaking during the day and at night. As the seasons change and the thermometer falls towards zero, we thank all who help us make a positive difference every minute of every day.

Soon, the Bering Sea will turn to a slushy soup of ice crystals. Then the shore ice will fasten itself to the beaches (and the rivers, as pictured above) and the light will fade, declining about six minutes each day. As the seasons change, KNOM is constant in broadcasting critical weather, news, information, inspiration, and entertainment. We owe so much to so many who have helped us for nearly five decades: from planning to engineering, construction, and operation. We are truly blessed!

Continue Reading

A failed sensor and a frozen pipe

By on October 20, 2012 in Stories

At times, KNOM staff and volunteers face a variety of challenges. Last week brought engineering, computer, and plumbing difficulties, but with the help of professionals and an energetic staff, each problem was identified, and, when possible, solved.

Among our glitches was a malfunctioning temperature sensor at our studio building. The sensor is designed to feed live temperature data to our on-air deejays, so that we can announce local weather conditions as they change. After a visual inspection and a reboot of the computer attached to the sensor, our temperature readings are now accurate and back to normal.

As our repaired temperature sensor will attest, Nome’s temperatures are now consistently falling below the freezing point, and last week this caused a problem: the main water lines leading into the KNOM studio building froze. The water slowed to a trickle, then stopped! Every time there is a plumbing problem, however, our favorite plumbers stop what they are doing (this time it was an installation of a heating system) and come to our aid. The frozen pipe was thawed, and once again, the water is flowing.

We thank all who help to keep the heat and lights on (and all the other utilities working properly!). We so appreciate all they do for us.

Continue Reading

“I am glad we are able to help in some small way…”

By on October 15, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Thank-you letter

We’re so gratified to exchange correspondence with the people who support our mission.

From time to time, we share a short story that touches us. Here is a portion of a response to a donation thank-you from a KNOM listener. She writes:

While we are not Catholic, KNOM has been our preferred radio station for years, and we do appreciate your prayers. These last few months and the upcoming ones, we may need them especially: it has been/will likely continue to be a trying time for our family.

We count a number of you “old-timers” as friends, and sometimes I listen to the nighttime Rosary, etc. I am glad we are able to help in some small way to keep you on the air, and I enjoy reading the monthly updates we receive in the mail.

Our thanks to all who make KNOM possible. Together, we make a world of difference!

Continue Reading

A missing girl found, and the threats of fall storms

By on October 7, 2012 in Stories

Recently, KNOM coordinated with the Nome Police Department to locate a missing 10-year-old girl who had disappeared on her way home from school. Just as we always do for all missing-person cases, we immediately began broadcasting announcements with the girl’s description and her last known whereabouts, in the hopes that someone in our listening range might happen to recognize her.

After an exhaustive search by authorities, parents, relatives, and friends, she was found, safe and sound, at 9:00 a.m. the next day. Thank you for helping us return this little girl to her family. Thank you to all who keep KNOM on the air!

Meanwhile, winds of up to 60 miles per hour and high seas are keeping KNOM’s news department busy with weather warnings and storm updates. With so many low-lying communities spread out across Western Alaska, these storms can cause tremendous erosion and property damage.

Health and welfare are top priorities, and KNOM is an important part of the public safety effort, especially in very remote parts of Alaska. Without power and isolated from other communities, families with radios can still stay connected and informed by listening to KNOM. For everyone who helps keep families safe, thank you!

Continue Reading

Prayers for Father Armand, and new ways we’re saving power

By on October 1, 2012 in Photos, Stories
LED light

An example of the LED bulbs we soon hope to install throughout KNOM’s facilities.

We continue to give thanks and celebrate the faithful service of KNOM’s spiritual advisor, Father Armand Nigro, S.J. He has been offering prayers and Masses for the intentions of thousands of KNOM’s supporters, our staff, and listeners. We ask for your prayers for Fr. Armand as he deals with a variety of health challenges. He continues to pray for you and your intentions.

KNOM’s dynamic carrier control project continues to pay dividends in power savings. The latest billing information reveals that we are saving $101.00 per day in electricity costs! Many thanks to the Nautel Company, Chuck Lakaytis, Frank Jazzo, Jack Mullaney, Rolland Trowbridge, Les Brown, and engineers at the FCC.

The quest to find ways to trim the budget and to save money continues with our LED lighting project: a planned initiative to replace the fluorescent lighting fixtures in our facilities with cost-efficient LED bulbs. As always, we are working to save every penny we can! We thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Continue Reading

Signs of winter, a missing girl found, and prayers for Father Armand

By on September 21, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Father Armand

Father Armand Nigro, S.J.

The first dusting of snow has fallen on the hills just north of KNOM. Soon, the tundra will be covered with a carpet of snow and ice. With the change of the seasons, critical weather reports on KNOM can help save lives and keep families safe. We are blessed with this opportunity to serve KNOM’s listeners 24 hours a day, especially during the very trying winter months.

Recently, a 12 year old girl who had not returned home was reported missing to the Nome Police Department. An officer reached out to KNOM with an official announcement detailing her description and contact information. After several hours of frequent announcements on KNOM, the young girl was found. We thank everyone who helps us assist families during their most difficult times.

Father Armand Nigro, S.J. (pictured) has been offering prayers and Masses for many years for the intentions of thousands of KNOM’s supporters. He now needs your prayers. Please join us in prayer for his health and well being.

Continue Reading

Construction underway!

By on September 16, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Drilling a hole

Construction workers drill the first hole for the foundation pilings of KNOM’s new studio annex.

Construction of the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios has begun! The pilings are in place, and the contractor will arrive soon to build our super-insulated addition. Please pray that more supporters come forward to make this last dream of the late Tom Busch a reality.

We are so thankful for your gifts and for all the blessings we have received, especially lately! Engineering volunteer Rolland Trowbridge is replacing five dysfunctional power modules in the Nautel AM transmitter; one of the modules actually caught fire for a brief time. Thankfully, the fire was limited only to the module itself! The new transmitter equipment brings us an unexpected expense of $5,000-6,000. However, the cost would have been much higher if the entire AM transmitter building had caught fire.

There are always challenges to meet and obstacles to overcome as we work to keep KNOM on the air in service to dozens of remote communities. Thank you for making our mission possible. We thank all who help KNOM.

Continue Reading

The people who keep us on the air

By on September 10, 2012 in Photos, Stories
KNOM AM transmitter

KNOM’s AM transmitter site in winter.

Last week, we welcomed the last of this year’s five volunteers to Nome. Lucus Keppel is from Michigan and has committed one year to the KNOM Radio Mission. He joins Margaret, Eva, Dayneé, and Josh. They look forward to a wonderful year of service to listeners in remote bush communities.

As always, we thank everyone who helps us overcome each obstacle and meet every challenge. Sometimes, our challenges are of a technical nature.

Recently, KNOM’s AM transmitter shut down, and the sensor monitoring the temperature inside our transmitter building read 128 degrees! The fans had turned off and had failed to restart. After cooling the building, engineering volunteer Rolland Trowbridge located the reset switch in a control panel and restarted the AM transmitter, returning the KNOM signal to the air.

In the rare moments our AM signal goes offline, we often receive phone calls from listeners asking us “where did you go?” We’re gratified to have such devoted listeners – and dedicated volunteers, staff, and community members who make sure such outages are not just rare, but also brief.

Continue Reading